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| Alternative names | Cuisine réunionnaise |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Réunion France |
| Associatedcuisine | French cuisine |
TheCreole cuisine of Réunion is thefood,culinary technique and typicaldishes of the island of Réunion, France's dependency in the Indian Ocean. It is identified asCreole cuisine (in French,Créole) because it is a mixture of eating habits and colonial culinary customs with native ingredients. It is strongly influenced byMalagasy cuisine (fromMadagascar), as well as other cuisines fromEast Africa. It also incorporates elements ofFrench cuisine, due to colonization, as well as more recentlyIndian andChinese, brought by Indian and Chinese immigrants respectively. The Réunion diet is naturallyspicy, flavorful, and relatively consistent.
In La Reunion, theaperitif (appetizer) or entrée plays an important role as an integral part of a meal.Fries are especially popular, although there are notable exceptions such assteamed bouchons. Some typical snacks are:
Always accompanied bywhite rice, the most common dishes arecari (a local version of the Indian curry), rougail andjugged meats (civets in French). Curry consists of a base ofonion,garlic andspices such asturmeric (calledsafran péï on the island) and masalé (the local version ofgaram masala), in which fish, meat, eggs, andtomato are cooked. Dishes can also be optionally flavored withginger.Combava zest andcurry leaf (called kaloupilé) are also very popular.Chop suey (rice, not pasta) and other Asian dishes like pork with pineapple are also very common.
It is almost always served with some type oflegume (grains), such as broadbeans, locust beans or the famouslentils fromCilaos, for example, but also with cooked vegetables (brèdes) or raw, such as bleda (also calledyerba de Pará,paracres or morning bleda).
Other common garnishes arepickles (called achard de legumes, derived from the Indian achaar; often made with cabbage, carrots and green beans or palm hearts and spiced with garlic, chili, cumin, turmeric, ginger and vinegar), rougail (a mixture of chopped tomato, onion,chili, andginger) or freshtomatoes, aubergines, or green mango, all highly seasoned.
A popular dish isrougail saucisses, made with rougail chicken or pork sausage, atomato sauce,chili,spices, andginger. It will preferably be accompanied by white or zembrocal rice (rice cooked with turmeric, which incorporates red beans or peas).
In general, vegetarian dishes are rare in the Reunion diet, although there are choices, such as gratin de chouchou (chayote gratin). Various kinds ofpoultry are consumed. Although there are others; one of the local specialties is thecivet detenrec. The traditional way of preserving meat is boucanage, and cooking is done in castiron pots. Traditionally, the main course was also prepared in the patio, over a wood fire, or in a small out-of-home unit, called the boucan. Then it was eaten on abanana leaf and often eaten by hand.
Cari tangue
While the people of Réunion generally have similar lifestyles and eating habits, there are variations among the population's different ethnic and religious communities. For instance, Réunion Muslims followIslamic dietary law, abstaining from pork and, consequently, not consuming rougail saucisse. However, they do share more recipes with the neighboring Mauritius than other Réunionais groups, including dishes like the briani. ThePetit blancs des hauts, a Réunion ethnic group traditionally considered to be lower-class, consume smallpickles orcurry spices, unlikemalbares (Indian community).[citation needed]
An aperitif or snack is usually accompanied by apunch (blow) or an "arranged rum" (rhum arrangé). It is a white rum that usually carries some fruit (such as lychee,mango, orpineapple),leaves, andseeds macerated for weeks. It is taken at any time of the day, even in the morning.
Another typical drink istamarindsyrup. Thesodas made from pineapple, lychee, lemon, and other fruits grown on the island are also popular, although sometimes they are replaced by international drinks.
In Réunion a wine is produced, theCilaos. It isred,white orrosé and the dominant varieties arepinot noir,malbec andchenin. It comes fromCilaos, in the mountainous area of the island and its production is very low (14 ha).
TheBrasseries de Bourbon, which is now owned byHeineken, is the only major producer of beer. Bourbon beer is locally known as Dodo, and around the island, the slogan "la Dodo lé la” (the dodo is here) is commonly painted on snack shops. Other popular beers includePhoenix from Mauritius andKronenbourg 1664.
Seasonalfruits are a very common and simple dessert: in the summermangoes,lychees,longans and Victoria-typepineapple, a sweet variety from nearbyMauritius; in winter,goyaviers (small guavas, that are an invasive plant in much of Réunion’s forests).
As forpastries, several local cookies that are very popular, including the bonbon la rouroute ("arrowroot bonbon"), the "bonbon tie", and the bonbon honey ("honey bonbon").
Inpastry, the gâteau patate ("potato pie"), the gâteau ti'son (corn pie), the seasonal fruit tart, the beignets de bananes ("banana fritters") are famous.Starch cakes,cassava,yams, andsweet potatoes are also common.
For theNew Year, typical pâté créole (Creole pate), whose filling is made of porkcurry, called godivo, the dough is a mixture of curry sauce withflour andlard, and flavored withturmeric, accompanied by a littleanise liqueur.
